Mrs. Weasley's Homemade Fudge
(this recipie can be found in the un-offical harry potter cook book) During the Christmas holidays of 1991 Harry Potter woke up not expecting any presents. But to his surprise he found a large pile of them at the end of his bed... He had received a roughly cut wooden flute from Hagrid (which would later become a big part of the plot), A fifty pence piece from the Dursleys, a box of Chocolate Frogs from Hermione, Harry’s Dad’s invisibility cloak sentanonymously by Dumbledore, a hand knitted jumper and box of homemade fudge from Mrs.weasly. Great fudge should have a slightly grainy but also smooth and creamy texture. It may take some practice to get right. Ingredients 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups whole milk 2 tablespoons golden syrup or light or dark corn syrup 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) butter 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/4 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Method 1. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Line it with parchment paper, allowing the paper to come up two of the sides. This will make it easy to remove the fudge and slice it. 2. Combine the sugar, milk, golden syrup or corn syrup, butter, heavy cream, salt, and cream of tartar in a large saucepan. (As you cook, the mixture will expand like crazy, so be sure the pot is large enough; it should be at least 4 quarts.) Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are combined. Wash down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in hot water to get rid of sugar crystals if they formed on the sides. 3. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pot and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 220°F. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 238°F. This whole process may take more than 30 minutes, so be patient. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled; it will smooth out as it thickens during the beating process. 4. Remove the pan from the heat and wait until the mixture cools to 115°F. Remove the thermometer, add the vanilla, and beat or stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture loses its gloss and is very thick, about 10 minutes. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top. You can use a piece of plastic wrap and the palm of your hand to do this. 5. Cool completely before cutting into 1-inch squares. NOTE: If the mixture gets too hot, the fudge will seize up into a hard, grainy clump when you try to stir it. If it doesn’t get hot enough, the fudge will not thicken and will remain a gloopy mess. You can then try to save it by putting it back in the pot with some water (don’t worry; the water will evaporate) and reheating it to the correct temperature. VARIATION: To make milk chocolate–covered almond fudge, add 1 cup chopped toasted almonds to the fudge before stirring. Spread 6 ounces melted milk chocolate over the finished fudge and allow it to set before cutting. To make pistachio chocolate chip fudge, beat in ½ cup toasted chopped pistachio nuts and ½ cup mini chocolate chips just as you are finishing beating. If you add the chocolate chips before you start beating, they will melt.